MCAS Math Grade 3

Under Massachusetts policy described by DESE, students in grades 3–8 and 10 take MCAS tests in English language arts and mathematics. Grade 3 is therefore the first year students take the mathematics MCAS, and the test is based on the state's learning standards for that grade.

DESE states that MCAS tests are given on a computer and include a variety of question formats, such as multiple choice, short answers, and essays. Because formats vary, students should be comfortable explaining their mathematical thinking in writing, not just selecting an answer.

No. DESE states that MCAS tests are not timed and that students have as much time as they need within a regular school day. That means the pressure comes from understanding the mathematics, not from a clock, so students should be encouraged to work carefully rather than rush.

DESE reports that students score in one of four categories: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, and Not Meeting Expectations. Educators from each grade level helped determine the scoring range for each category. DESE states that MCAS tests are not graded on a curve.

No. DESE answers this directly: MCAS does not determine whether students progress to the next grade level. The results are one piece of a student's academic picture, so families should treat them as information to guide support rather than as a promotion gate.

Yes. DESE states that it makes many previous test questions available online. Reviewing released questions is one of the most direct ways to see how grade-level mathematics is assessed, and it can be paired with regular classroom work rather than used as a substitute for it.

DESE states that test contractors, DESE staff, and more than 250 educators annually help create and review test questions. DESE also describes Assessment Development Committees and a Bias and Sensitivity Committee made up of teachers, administrators, support specialists, and university faculty who edit and revise the questions.

Yes. DESE states that a variety of accessibility features and accommodations are available as needed, which can include a text-to-speech reader, paper-based tests, or a different testing environment. For multilingual learners, accommodations such as bilingual word-to-word dictionaries and glossaries are available, and the math test is available in Spanish.

Focus on grade-level mathematics from the state's learning standards, since DESE states the assessments are based on those standards. Practice explaining reasoning in words as well as computing answers, and review released questions from DESE to become familiar with how the mathematics is presented.

DESE states that students' individual MCAS results are not published publicly. They are reported to students' schools, and reports are sent by districts to families and caregivers. School and district level results are publicly available through DESE's School and District Profiles and related data tools.